Jim Ruppert: The Prairie Stars have landed their own baseball field

The University of Illinois Springfield baseball team is finally playing true home games with the opening of its new on-campus field.

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The State Journal-Register

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Posted Mar. 29, 2014 at 9:00 PM

Posted Mar. 29, 2014 at 9:00 PM

Not a lot had changed as far as progress toward the construction of a baseball field at the University of Illinois Springfield from the time Barry Arnett and Adam Unes arrived on campus in August of 2010 to the time Chris Ramirez came to Springfield to interview for the vacant baseball coaching job in June of 2013.

“I took a couple pictures,” Ramirez, the Prairie Stars' first-year head coach said. “There was a backstop. There was fencing. That was it. It was a shell, no dugouts . . . ”

Saturday afternoon UIS conducted opening ceremonies at its on-campus baseball field. The Prairie Stars have had a couple of trial runs — a Great Lakes Valley Conference game with Missouri Science and Technology and a mid-week doubleheader with Robert Morris — but Saturday everything became official.

There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included Chancellor Susan Koch and her husband Dennis as well as athletic director Kim Pate. Colten Knoedler, the 6-year-old grandson of Bank of Springfield chairman Tom Marantz, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Bank of Springfield made a $60,000 donation to UIS that helped fund the construction of the baseball field.

Arnett shines

Arnett, one of three UIS seniors who there when the program began for the 2010-11 school year, was masterful with a two-hit shutout in a 1-0 Game One victory over Bellarmine. It seemed only right that the Prairie Stars' best pitcher get the official opening day start.

“It was a big honor,” said Arnett, who improved to 3-1 with the complete-game victory that lowered his earned run average to 1.46. “I didn't expect it. It makes me speechless.”

Playing on-campus baseball games was something else a UIS baseball player didn't expect.

“It's come full circle,” said Unes, who has played all over the field in four seasons at UIS but is now the starting left fielder. “It's pretty special.”

But it was part of the plan when first-year UIS coach Brian Grunzke brought Arnett and Unes to campus.

“That was one of the recruiting tools,” said Unes, who to date has hit the Prairie Stars' only home run on home turf. “The plan was for us to play on campus by the end of our sophomore year.”

Grunzke left after one season, and he was replaced by Mike Zandler. Zandler lasted two seasons before Ramirez came along.

“The last three years, I don't know what was the main push,” Ramirez said about a lack of progress in turning a practice area in the prairie into a game-ready field. “My feeling was that people (wanted) a $5 million field right now.

“I took a different approach. ‘Let's just get on campus.' I think that surprised some people. You've just got to get started somewhere.

Page 2 of 2 - “That kind of started it. Kim and the chancellor have done a lot to get it started, a lot of leg work. Travis Whipple (associate athletic director for external oerations) has been going out and getting money raised. A lot of people have been involved.”

Making strides

The first step was to build the third base dugout in the fall. Once the dugout was in, Ramirez posed a simple question: why not get the field ready for spring? Nobody could find a reason to say no.

A first base dugout went up, then bullpens down each line. Bleachers were transported from the soccer field. A wind screen was secured on the outfield fence. A solar-powered scoreboard — which wasn't working for Saturday's first game — went up in right field.

There's still no water or electricity. The public address system and walk-up music for each batter are powered by a generator behind the first base dugout.

Students were given T-shirts that read “Home at Last.” The Prairie Stars have landed.